Joe Farman and Billie Sol Estes

Joe Farman, who has died aged 82, was a research scientist for the British
Antarctic Survey whose discovery, in 1982, of a “hole” in the ozone layer
has been described as one of the most important scientific finds of the 20th
century.

The Earth’s protective layer of ozone shields terrestrial life from the
damaging effects of ultraviolet solar rays, and Farman’s discovery of its
rapid depletion by man-made chemicals led to fears of a dramatic increase in
skin cancers and cataracts, with a long-term risk of damage to the genetic
material of all living things. The threat was so serious that it forced
politicians to act.

When Farman published his findings in the scientific journal Nature in 1985
(with Jonathan Shanklin and Brian Gardiner), they caused a sensation. The
study showed that levels of Antarctic ozone in mid-October had fallen by 40%
between 1975 and 1984; and Farman went on